Our Father in Heaven: Hallowed Name, Kingdom, Will

Partnership in the gospel sends ordinary people to ordinary places so that Christ’s name is honored beyond this suburb and this city. That partnership currently plants David and Emma Thompson, with Ruben and Paige, in Dongara, a small WA fishing town where 56 percent claim no religion. The need is simple and large. Family carols, lunchtime Christian values education, pastoral care, steady word ministry, all of it lifts up Jesus’ name in a community that needs daily bread and living hope.

Jesus then teaches his disciples how to pray, not just which words to say. The Lord’s Prayer grows a living relationship with the Father, a regular and focused conversation with the One who cares for big things and small things. The first word sets the tone. “Our Father” locates prayer in community, not private spiritual shopping. The church asks for bread for all, forgiveness for all, protection for all, because the Father has made one family.

“Father” names respectful intimacy. The transcendent Creator, the Judge of all, is addressed as “Dad.” That is not casual, it is covenant closeness. He is more loving, more attentive, more faithful than any earthly father, never late or forgetful or grumpy. He runs to welcome strays, listens every time, and binds brothers and sisters who sometimes annoy each other, yet belong to one home.

The first half of the prayer is all about God. “Hallowed be your name” asks that God’s character be recognized and honored, not merely the letters of a title. The church becomes the promotional campaign for God’s reputation in speech, action, and outreach, so that homes and children can see that he matters. “Your kingdom come” prays big. It confesses God as King over seen and unseen, yearns for Jesus to return soon, and, in the meantime, asks God to show his rule here and now by uprooting evil and empty religion. That petition calls the church off the banana lounges to speak up against darkness and to honor Christ publicly.

“Your will be done” may be the hardest line to pray. It resists the heart’s itch for control and the culture’s drumbeat of personal willpower. It hands church, town, and personal longings back to the Father, trusting his wisdom when healing tarries, growth slows, money pinches, or family plans wait. “On earth as in heaven” stretches each petition across the map. As heaven continually honors, obeys, and delights in God’s rule, so the church asks for that pattern here. Only after God, God, God does the prayer turn to needs.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Prayer begins with “our,” not “my.” This prayer trains a community, not a solo act. The Father gathers a family that seeks bread, forgiveness, and protection for all, not just for one. Private desires are real, but they are braided into a shared life where another’s need becomes a first concern. The church learns to speak as one household before one Father. [33:55]
• 2. God as Father means real intimacy. “Father” is respectful closeness, more like “Dad” than distant formality. The Almighty welcomes children who say “hi, Dad,” without shrinking his holiness. That nearness steadies confession, fuels bold requests, and heals the distortions that harsh fathers can leave. Divine fatherhood sets the standard and supplies the love the family lives on. [35:13]
• 3. “Hallowed” means honoring God’s character. God’s name is his reputation, so speech, habits, and corporate witness become a living billboard for who he is. Reverence is not thin politeness, it is truthful love that refuses to drag God’s name through careless words or compromised lives. Homes, children, and neighbors should be able to see that he is treasured. [39:33]
• 4. “Your kingdom come” is a big prayer. That line confesses God as the only true King, longs for Christ’s return, and asks for present justice against evil and sham worship. It also enlists the church to act, not spectate, bearing public witness to Jesus and resisting what destroys people. The request is global in scope and local in obedience. [41:30]
• 5. “Your will be done” resists control. These are easy words and hard surrender. Trust grows as Scripture clarifies what God loves, and prayer slowly trains desires to match his wisdom. Suffering, waiting, and unanswered plans become places to prefer the Father’s better will over quick relief or tidy outcomes. [46:30]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [11:54] - Name and BCA role
• [12:58] - Meet the Thompsons in Dongara
• [14:44] - Why Dongara needs gospel witness
• [15:32] - Ordinary ministry on the ground
• [18:32] - Prayer for partnership in mission
• [19:02] - Turning to God’s word
• [29:20] - When prayer feels familiar
• [32:50] - “Our” not “my” Father
• [34:35] - Father as respectful intimacy
• [38:17] - Hallowed be your name
• [41:30] - Your kingdom come
• [46:02] - Your will be done
• [49:54] - On earth as in heaven
• [53:11] - Pray it slowly, from the heart

1. The first half of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10) focuses entirely on God. What specific requests are made about Him in these verses?
2. What does the word “hallowed” mean in the context of God’s name, and how does the sermon describe honoring His character in daily life? [39:33]
3. According to the sermon, how does praying “your kingdom come” involve both longing for Jesus’ return and acting now? [41:30]
4. The prayer begins with “our Father,” not “my Father.” What examples of communal focus in ministry were shared from the Thompsons’ work in Dongara? [15:32]

1. Why might starting prayer with “our Father” instead of “my Father” reshape how we view our relationship with God and others? [33:55]
2. How does calling God “Father” combine respect with intimacy, and why might this matter for someone who struggles with negative experiences of earthly fathers? [35:13]
3. The sermon says praying “your will be done” is “easy words and hard surrender.” What makes surrendering control to God’s will so challenging, even when we trust His goodness? [46:30]
4. If “hallowed be your name” means making God’s reputation visible, how might careless words or habits undermine this prayer in a community? [39:33]

1. The Lord’s Prayer begins with “our,” not “my.” What is one practical way you could shift your prayers this week to reflect concern for others’ needs (e.g., daily bread, forgiveness, protection) alongside your own?
2. “Father” implies both closeness and reverence. How could you cultivate a habit of approaching God with honest, childlike trust while still honoring His holiness? [35:13]
3. The Thompsons’ ministry in Dongara included “ordinary” acts like family carols and lunchtime programs. What “ordinary” opportunities do you have to make God’s name known in your workplace, neighborhood, or family? [15:32]
4. Praying “your kingdom come” means resisting evil and empty religion. Where do you see darkness or injustice in your community that requires your voice or action, even in a small way? [41:30]
5. The sermon warns against treating prayer like a “solo act.” How could your small group or church family better support one another in praying for God’s will over personal desires? [46:30]
6. “Your will be done” often clashes with our craving for control. What situation are you facing right now where you need to actively surrender outcomes to God’s wisdom? What would that surrender look like practically?
7. The sermon says our lives are a “living billboard” for God’s reputation. What habit, attitude, or relationship in your life might need adjustment to better reflect His character to others? [39:33]